


A Strange Day

by Calicolor



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Angst and Humor, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bad Puns, Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-08
Updated: 2015-06-08
Packaged: 2018-04-03 06:49:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,990
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4091068
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Calicolor/pseuds/Calicolor
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Today is just a normal day, yet things aren't so normal. Everyone on the Seirin basketball team is ignoring Kuroko, and he doesn't know why. Is it just his usual lack of presence or did he do something wrong? Will Kuroko have to leave the team for good?</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Strange Day

Kuroko observed his teammates sadly. They were having their usual after-school basketball practice, but something was off. Something didn’t feel right. Nobody was paying attention to him.

Now, for anyone who knows Kuroko, they know that he’s pretty easy to miss, so this may not seem like anything out of the ordinary. But still…the Seirin basketball team did pay some attention to the blue-haired boy.

Right now, Kagami was quickly dribbling and dodging opposing players down the court. Kuroko continued to keep himself wide open for Kagami to make a pass to him, as he had been doing all practice. And, once again, Kagami never even glanced his direction. Jumping high into the air, he displayed one of his famous flying dunks, earning some cheers from the sidelines. Kuroko hung his head and sighed. No one was even passing to him during practice. Did they forget he was there today?

It didn’t make sense. Just yesterday, the team had all been talking to him just like they normally did. Now, they were acting as if he was some sort of stranger…

The coach blew her whistle and called a five-minute break. Kuroko looked up, a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

_Maybe now I can confront them about this… _he thought.__

* * *

Back in the locker room, the team was cooling off and getting energy drinks. Anxiously glancing around at each other, they whispered excitedly about something.

“But are you sure we’re not being too hard on him?” Koga asked, concerned. “I mean seriously, look at him…”

“It’s nothing he’s not used to,” Hyuga said. “Besides, it’s all part of—” He immediately stopped talking when a head of blue drifted through the door. Silence enveloped the room and all eyes were on the shadow of Seirin. No one dared to speak another word, fearing that Kuroko may have overheard their previous conversation.

Deciding to break the tension, Izuki turned to Hyuga with a devilish grin on his face. “Hey, Hyuga. So that new move you’re working on…why don’t you give it a SHOT?” Izuki was looking mighty proud of himself…until the captain shook him angrily by the neck.

“WAS THAT SUPPOSED TO BE ONE OF YOUR STUPID PUNS?!” Hyuga hissed.

“Whoa! Hey, it’s not like I was trying to SeiRAIN on your parade.” This earned him a thump to the head.

The two continued to bicker at one another as the others turned their attention away from the scene, disappointment plain on their faces. Kuroko looked around to find Kagami sitting in the corner with a towel around his neck, fumbling with an unopened water bottle.

“Do you need help with that, Kagami-kun?”

The redhead jumped like a schoolgirl who had lost her skirt. The girlish squeal didn't help the matter either. “K–Kuroko! Oh–hey–shit–well, I can’t seem to open this, heh heh heh,” laughing nervously, he started to back away toward the door. “Ya know what, I’ll go look for a can opener! Bye!” He then ran out of the room without looking back.

For several seconds, Kuroko simply stood there, staring at the empty doorway. He dropped his head in defeat and trudged toward it.

_Fine…I guess no one wants to talk to me today…_

* * *

Practice continued the same way it had been earlier, and then it was over. Still, nobody talked to him or looked his way. Kagami didn’t walk home with him like he usually did, so Kuroko decided to take a different path. He was feeling depressed after today’s practice.

He found a nice, quiet riverbank to walk along. A gentle breeze blew the trees, effectively ruffling Kuroko’s hair as well. He brushed his bangs from his eyes and looked up at the sky. It was dark and cloudy. Even the weather echoed his mood today.

 _Why won’t they acknowledge me today? It’s not like I did anything wrong…did I?_ He pondered, gazing into the stream he walked alongside. His reflection stared back at him: a gloomy, depressed shadow. Someone who would never be noticed, no matter how hard he tried.

He shook his head. _But I have friends. And they notice me and like me…just not today, for some reason..._ He frowned and kicked at some stones along the riverbank.

A few moments later, he froze, a look of shock on his face. Realization had hit him. _Do they…not want me on the team anymore?_ His thoughts were hurdling rapidly around in his head. Well, it made sense, didn’t it? _They won’t look at me. They won’t talk to me. And what were they talking about before I walked into the locker room for break?_ His fists clenched tightly. _They all stopped talking when I walked in…like they didn’t want me to hear something…_ Tears started sliding down his cheeks, falling down to the grass.

Hastily wiping his eyes with his sleeve, he started walking forward again. He knew what he would do now. He would fix this problem himself.

* * *

“Eeeeehhhhh!? Whadd’ya mean by that?” Takao exclaimed in shock.

“It means exactly what it means. I wish to join the Shutoku basketball team,” Kuroko proclaimed.

The two were standing in the doorway of Shutoku’s gym. Takao had seen the bluehead peeking inside and ran over to say hi.

Takao, flustered by the rash request, spluttered, “B–but you’re part of the Seirin team. You can’t just come here and demand a spot on Shutoku! Besides, it’s not really my area to make that kind of decision.”

Kuroko sighed. “Could I at least talk to Midorima-kun about it?”

“Shin-chan? He’s not here. He said he had some important business to attend to today. Couldn’t have stayed if he’d wanted to. Kise came by to drag him away.”

“Kise-kun was here?”

He hummed in response. “Aomine, too. Said they had to be somewhere or they’d ‘never be forgiven’…”

Kuroko furrowed his brows. _Aomine-kun was…actually doing something?_

Takao continued, rambling on about not knowing where they went. “Oh, but how I wish Shin-chan would’ve brought me along, too. Don’t know how he gets along without me…hah, I’m only kidding!” However, Kuroko was no longer paying attention. His gaze wandered over into the gym at the players shooting baskets. He wondered where they all could have needed to go that was so important. Especially Midorima-kun. He wasn’t one to miss practice to hang out with friends. And Aomine-kun. He just doesn’t do anything. Ever.

He was snapped out of his thoughts when Takao asked him a question.

“By the way, Kuroko…why did you wanna join Shutoku so suddenly anyway?”

“Oh…” Kuroko shifted his feet uncomfortably. “Well, I, umm…you know what, forget I asked. It’s a lost cause anyway…” he mumbled the last part.

Takao tilted his head, giving him a puzzled look. He opened his mouth to reply, but was cut short when a basketball crashed into the back of his head. Shrieking in pain, he spun around in search of the assassin.

“HEY, TAKAO! GET YOUR ASS BACK IN HERE! UNLESS YOU WANT EXTRA LAPS!” a voice boomed.

“Ha ha haaa…” Takao laughed nervously. “Well, I’d better get going. See ya later, Kuroko!”

Kuroko watched as he disappeared back into the gym. Stuffing his hands into his pockets, he left the school and decided to just go home.

* * *

Kuroko neared the door to his apartment. All he wanted to do now was shower and go to bed. His head ached and he just wanted to sleep. Reaching into his backpack, he pulled out his keys. He found the silver one and inserted it into the lock. Hopefully, tomorrow would be better…

He opened the door and dropped his backpack on the floor. He reached around in the darkness for the light switch but before his fingers touched it, light suddenly filled his vision. He was greeted by a loud “SURPRISE!!”

Eyes wide in shock, his vision slowly adjusted to the sudden brightness. He looked around his living room. Streamers and confetti covered the room. A large banner read “HAPPY BIRTHDAY KUROKO” in big letters. The whole basketball team was there, having jumped out of their hiding places upon Kuroko’s arrival. They all wore party hats, grinning at him.

“I…my…oh,” Kuroko was speechless.

_That’s right. It’s my birthday. How could I have forgotten my birthday?_

Kagami slapped him on the back, smiling merrily. “You look confused, Kuroko! Don’t tell me you forgot your own birthday?”

“Well, I’ve never celebrated it all that much before, so…”

"Well, we're celebrating it now," Teppei said. "Here's your party hat!"

Everyone was wearing simple yellow hats. But the one Kuroko received was a shiny baby blue color with red polka dots scattered all over it. His name was spelled out in gold lettering. To finish it all off, a white pom pom was stuck to the top. Kuroko just held the hat, admiring it for several seconds. It was so beautiful.

"The pom pom was my idea!" Koga called out.

"So, Kuroko. How do you like it?" Kagami asked. "We all pitched in to make it. I think it turned out pretty well."

Kuroko turned to everyone and smiled. "I love it. Thank you so much, all of you."

As he was putting the hat on, a voice slurred, impatiently. “Eeeeeehhhh...can we hurry up so I can eat some cake?”

“Now, now, Atsushi. Shouldn’t Tetsuya get to decide what to do? It is his party after all.”

Kuroko turned his head in the direction the two voices came from. Murasakibara and Akashi emerged from under the dining table in the kitchen (although it seems that Attack on Titan took up most of the hiding place).

“You guys are here, too?”

“We’re here, too, Tetsu.”

“Kuroko-chhi!!!!”

“I am, in fact, here as well.”

Three more familiar voices came from the living room. Aomine, Kise, and Midorima appeared from behind the bookcase.

Kagami snorted. “Tch. Yeah, the whole damn Generation of Miracles is here and it’s annoying the shit out of me.”

“Eh?!” Aomine turned to him. “You wanna say that to my face?!”

“Says the one who lost to me last time we played.”

Aomine stomped toward him. “Don’t get cocky, bastard—”

“You’re not the best anymore, jackass—”

“I could still take you anytime—”

“I’d like to see you try—”

“Ahem. ANYWAY!” Hyuga interrupted. “There’s something Seirin would like to say to Kuroko.”

“We’re really sorry for ignoring you earlier today, Kuroko,” Koga said.

“But it was all part of the plan,” Teppei added.

“Yeah, we couldn’t let that plan crumble,” Izuki chimed in. “Get it? Crumble? Cake? Crumbs? You guys get—?”

“Shut up, Izuki,” everyone groaned.

Everyone stopped arguing when they heard a soft laugh. The melodic sound filled the room. They all searched for the source and realized it was coming from Kuroko.

“You guys…” Kuroko wiped the tears from his eyes, smiling. “…thank you.”

“Idiot.” Kagami karate-chopped the back of his head. “Did you really think we’d forget your birthday?”

“I still can’t believe Tetsu actually forgot it,” Aomine laughed.

“Kurokoooo-cchiiii!!!! Happy birthday!!!!” the blonde tackled the bluehead. (“Kise-kun! Ouch!”)

“Can I eat cake yet?”

“Cake is, in fact, today’s lucky item.”

“Is that why you offered to bring it, Shintaro?”

“That is, in fact, correct.”

And so, all night, Seirin and the Generation of Miracles all celebrated Kuroko’s birthday. They ate cake, opened presents, and played games until they all passed out from exhaustion (and Murasakibara from his sugar intake). Kuroko was still awake, however. He looked around at all his sleeping friends. His eyes fell on Kagami, who had Tetsuya #2 sprawled out on his chest. He chuckled at the funny and unlikely sight.

_I wonder how I’m going to get everyone out of my apartment…_

He smiled to himself.

_But I’m really glad everyone came. They did this all just for me._

_I have the best friends in the world._

**Author's Note:**

> Well, this was my first fanfic. I hope you liked it! I had a lot of fun writing this story :D


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